President Donald Trump on Monday authorized an inquiry into whether to investigate China's alleged theft of intellectual property, the first direct action by the White House against a country Trump has painted as the U.S. chief trade villain.
Trump broke from his 17-day vacation in New Jersey to sign the memo in Washington at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing over North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
The investigation is likely to cast a shadow over relations with China, the largest U.S. trading partner, just as Trump is asking Beijing to step up pressure against Pyongyang.